Derrick construction



Sept. 4, 1934.

A. w. LEWIS DERRICK CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 17, 1933 INl/ENToe:flew-1042 N LENA?) .1

Patented Sept. 4, 1934 972,269." DERRICK CONSTRUCTION I Lewis, LaCanada; Calif.

, ApplicationNoveinberl'l', 1933, Serial No. 698,415

My invention'relates to steel derricks'of'the character employed in oilwell'drilling, and'is an improvement on the invention disclosed in my;Patent No. 1,935,095 for Derrick construction I issi'ied November 14,1933;

teel derricks as ordinarily "constructed are quite expensive. My presentinvention has for an object to produce a material saving in the 'c'o'stof steel derricks without" many way impairing the features found in thecommaniy accepted types of construction. I -havef oun'd that byfa newmethod of arranging the girt'sfa'nd diagonal struts a material economy'can"' 'be'-'* a ttaiiied in the construction of a derrickfsuchfnewarrangement of parts consisting of placing'fthe girts across pairsof'leg's of the derrick'in a manner to form vertically adjacent panelswhich are: substantially rectangular in form and placing the diagonalreinforcing strutaacrossfthe corners of these panels so-as fto formcentrally within the panel a quadrilateral"figurehaving its diagonalaxes directed vertically and la'terally. Such arrangement I havedisclosed jrny "copending application above ;set forth. 26 My presentinventionhas' as one of it's' p'rincipal features an arrangement of theabovelset forth reinforcing members which will; enable the forming ofproper'openings or doorways at the bottom of the derrick and yetmaintain a structural continuity. For example, it is -(:uston ri'eu'y toemploy in conjunction with the derrick' a walking beam and associatedequipment which extend through a relativelyhigh doorway at one sideofthe structure and rotarydraw work's equipment mounted in a doorway oropening of lessheight formed in an adjacent side'of the derrick. Mypresent invention involves the vertical offsetting of I the panels inone side ofthe derrick relative to the panels in the other side of thederrick in such a manner that ample and economical reinforcement ofthederrick is maintained due to the characteristic manner in which thegirts, struts, and legs of the" derrick are tied together, therebyenabling the'forming of. doorways of different heights in adjacent sidesof, the derrick in a very simple manner. 1 Q1 Further objects andadvantages of the -inven tion will be brought out in the following partof the specification.

Referring to the drawing,.which isfor illustrative purposes'only, g 2Fig. 1 is-a perspective; view;looking;.toward one corner of a derrickmade-in accordance with myinventionp a; 5- T" Fig; 2 is a view' lookingtoward the diagonally iopposite'corner of the'derrick.

Fig. 3 isan enlarged fragmentaryviewshowing a mannerof connecting theupper'and lower ends of the diagonalstrut members tointermediate-portions of girts; v Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryperspectiveview showingithe interconnection? of a leg, the end of a girt, and thelateral ends of diagonal strut members. I

Inview of the fact that methods of attaching structural membersarei wellknown to thearts, parts of a derrick are illustrated in Figs. 1 and2 Joysingle lines. The derrick shown for illustrating a preferred embodimentof my invention has 'the general form adopted for oil well drillingpractice'and comprises-four legs 10, 11, 12; and 13 mouhtedoria'rectangular base 14 and converging upwardly so as to define a space orcentral shaft portion which is essentially vertical and is ofrectangular .cross section. As shown in Fig. 4, each of the legs may bemade from a pair of angle members 15 'suitably secured together by means7 of bolts 16 or rivets and in such a manner that the legs 17ther'eofiliel in adjacent vertical lanes of the derrick sidesp 'lhelegstll and 12, asshown :in Fig.- 1-; may "for-the'purpose: ofexplanation be said to d'efinea 'front side'18 of the derrick; the legswand 13, as shown in Fig.2, therear side 20 of the derrick; the legs 10and 1-1, as shown in Fig. 1, a lateral side 21 of the derrick; and thelegsal2tarid13, as shown' in 2, the remaining lateral'side 22 of thederrick. Also, for the purposerofexplanation the front side 18 and thelateral side 21 of the derrick may be considered :corelatively primaryand secondary sides, and the sides 20. and 22 of Fig. 2 may bealsoconsidered Iprimaryl'and secondary sides. In fact, it will be laterperceived from the explanation that any two adjacent sides maybeproperly considered to be in primary and secondary-relation. v

Referring "to Fig.1, laterally directed girts-24 are in:verticallyspaced relation extended I across the primary or front side 18of the derrick, the ends of these girts being connected to the legs 11and 12 and dividing the essentially'vertical plane in which the legs 11'and 12 reside into a plurality of approximately rectangular areas orpanels 25. The rear side of the derrick is'likewise' divided into :9;series of consecutive vertical panels 25a by means lofgirts '24af-the'spacing of the girts 24a being the'saine as the spacing of the girts 24so that'each girt'24 Will'operate in pairedrelation -to:=agir't 24a todefine a" horizontal plane. Each of the panels-25 and 25a is reinforcedby use of a set of four diagonal bracing members 26, each of whichmembers 26 is placed across a corner of the quadrilateral area or panelor 25a in a manner, to form within the four strut members 26 arectangular area in an on-end relation, or, in other words, with onediagonal axis thereof extending vertically and the other diagonal axisthereof extending laterally. The upper and lower ends 27 and 28 ofthediagonal reinforcing members 26 are secured to central portions of thegirts 24-2411 in a manner such as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the lateralends 30 of the diagonal reinforcing members 26 are secured to a legcofthe derrick in a manner such as. illustratedin.

Fig. 4, the point of joining of the 'ends30"wi'th the leg being locatedapproximately centrally between two adjacent girts.

In the horizontal planes 'de'fincd by the lateral corners of therectangular figures defined by. the struts 26, girts 32, which may beconsidered in secondary relation'to the gii'ts1-24 and i24a,-areconnected between the legs 7 lOzand 11,: as shown in Fig. 1, and similarsecondarygirts -32 arecon- 'nected between'the 'girts 12' and=13,-asshown in Fig. .2. Accordingly, the girtss32'are vertically offsetfrom the girts 24 and 240/2, distance-substantially half the verticalspacing rof the' glrts 24 and 24a, and the-secondary'girts 32' form inthe planes defined by the :legs 10-11 and :12:--.l-3 approximatelyrectangular panels 33 which may be consideredjn secondary relation tothepanels .25 and'25a-for'thereasonthattheyare offset'relative thereto.

I As shown in Fig.3, the upper and lower ends=28 and 27 of the-struts26' may be connected to the central portion of a girt, such :asthe.=girti24-,i.by means of a plate '34.which may besecured' to' thegirt by means of bolts'35. The ends'27 and 28 may be secured to theplate 34 lay-attachment means 36 including bolts 3'7. It-will beperceived. that-at every point of interconnection,- such as shownin Fig.3. there is a six-point connection between. the structural parts whichextend outwardly rialong the sixjcenter lines 38 which radiate fromth'ecem,

terpoint P. As shown. in Fig.. 4,the.-end 40-nf each-girt in the mainportion of the derrickestructure has five-point connection with aderrick leg and'the lateral ends 30 of. a pair of struts :26. 'In otherwords, there are structural members-extend.- ing from a point P in ifivedirections, as indicated by radial center lines 41. p A

In the construction above described; horizontal stresses in the derrickstructure :are carriedventirely around the derrick structure along thelines of interconnectedstrut or igirtmembers. For example; a forceactinghorizontally; as shown by the arrow-42in Fig.1, against the:girt-specifically designated as 24b will betransmitted from the centerof the member :24?) "through struts 26a to'the rightward-ends ofgirt-5124c and from the leftward end of the-girt24b through struts 26bto the center of the gins-240. -:'Ac-

cordingly, there is a well'defined interconnection between-girts,through use of the struts; entirely 1. around the derrick.

. -Also in my presentstr'ucture the ideal istruw :tural arrangement orreinforcing of panels as above set forth. may be carried very close1701- the lower end of the derrick-structure and still permit theformationof doorways or openingssuch as indicated at 44 and 45,*Fig.1.'Il'ieqgirtfid forming the lowerextremity of thefirst panel in the frontside 18' of thedcrrick may be-idisposed so as to, define the upper endof"- the open-- ingor doorwayllwhichtis'offaheight H. Sulli- =the.derrick zstructure These merits. on mechanisms which. maybeusedint-cub;F

cient to accommodate the walking beam or percussion drilling meansemployed in well drilling work. In an adjacent side of the derrick, suchas the lateral side 21, the opening 45 is provided for accommodation ofother drilling equipment, such as the rotary draw-works. This openingneed not be as tall as the opening 24 and accordingly may have a heighth, the result being thatthedowermost panel of thejlateralgside 21 of thederrick .mayzstartiwith theiglrt- 24% which is downwardly offset fromthe girt 24d.

Diagonal reinforcing means, other than the ;preferred type of diagonalreinforcing means set forth aboveis in this construction required to "amuch-smailer extent than in my former constructicn, whiclrresults indefinite structural advantagesand savings in material. The opening -4'4may be defined bydiagonal reinforcing struts 46 which extend between thelower ends of the legs 11 and 12 and the central portion of the girt24d..having in conjun'ctiongtherewith auxiliary bracing members 4'? and48. r-To @diagonallygbraace the lower extremity of the lateral :side :21icf the derrick,- diagonal struts 50 ,maygbe. carried the lower ends ofthe .;legs 1*01' and11-across thewJO girt 24e 1 toconnect; with. thecentra l portion'i of =-t,he g-irt Zn-above the girt 251?;ltistoeheiundfirr stoodthat the struts 50 are tiedyto theist turalmembers, such as the girt 2A e-,, winch:;.they. cross.

As -shown in Fi herreerlsi e-zW ar -theme derrick may. havean;openingnflmformedtat ;the lower :end thereof. inaccordancewith the:meam disclosed in Fig-J to;form=-the.--0peni 1;1g de- 2 Of 7 ic F ew maii ew h o without opening or doormeans at the. loweralo 9n d t .Inexceptionallytallderricks and 1 hose .for 11156 e e e rk n c e -manstamer/ desirable to. employ auxiliary bracing members .52.in-some-.ofthe-panelsg-near the slower en clgf an -bmce each have .one. end thereof.conn ted;to-;a central Portion Q m 12.6. an e her dcennect d to a r,stru ure-9f.- Pan l iik'fi w dfimfi with the disclosure ofmypriorapplication hereinbefore-set forth.-

Although-. 1 haveLherem w my nvention in I simple, 1 practice is.recognized that} certain parts, o thereof are representative, 09f other;art

stflntially the samel manner. to acc omplish subrstantially. the same.results;.. therefore, it isto -be understoodthatihe invention iSn0t=t6i-be limited: to the-details disclosedchereln-rbut.:is--to.beaccorded the full scope of the following claims.

. I claimeas my inventionzi' '1. An oil wellcderrick of} the =characterescribed; including 1 a complement-ref .zsubstantially vertical legmembers s-placed in upright positipn s .and cooperating in vpairs;li'oiorm adjacent of the derrick; ,.-.primary girts 5 extending,- ;.acrossa primary side .ofsaidderrick between a 'acent leg members finvertic'allyspaced. relatipn a vertical series. of panels secondary girtsing across a secondary v side of said derrick; adja} cent s p ma y sdeilsa d se ond r are bei "spaced "in vertically offset relation to.said p111 marygirts 'so as to form a vertical se esff'cf panelsvertically ofiset from said panels' 'pfimai'y side'df-Sa'jiddftik; anddiagonal placed across the corners of'said 'pa'nel's';s''substantiallydefine centrally o'f s'aid panels quadrilateral flgureshavingtheirdiagonal ax'e'scress 7 ing in horizontal and verticaldirections. 350

2. An oil well derrick of the character described, including: acomplement of substantially vertical leg members placed in uprightposition and cooperating in pairs to form adjacent sides of the derrick;primary girts extending across a primary side of said derrick betweenadjacent leg members in vertically spaced relation to form a verticalseries of panels; secondary girts extending across a secondary side ofsaid derrick adjacent said primary side, said secondary girts beingspaced in vertically ofiset relation to said primary girts a distance ofsubstantially half the height of said panels of said primary side ofsaid derrick so as to form a vertical series of panels vertically offsetfrom said panels of said primary side of said derrick; and diagonalstruts placed across the corners of said panels so as to substantiallydefine centrally of said panels quadrilateral figures having theirdiagonal axes crossing in horizontal and vertical directions.

3. 'An oil well derrick of the character described, including: acomplement of substantially vertical leg members placed in uprightposition and cooperating in pairs to form adjacent sides of the derrick;primary girts extending across a primary side of said derrick betweenadjacent leg members'in vertically spaced relation to form a verticalseries of panels; secondary girts extending across a secondary side ofsaid derrick adjacent said primary side, said secondary girts beingspaced in vertically offset relation to said primary girts so as to forma vertical series of panels vertically offset from said panels of saidprimary side of said derrick; diagonal struts placed across the cornersof said panels so as to substantially define centrally of said panelsquadrilateral figures having their diagonal axes crossing in horizontaland vertical directions; and auxiliary braces in selected of said panelsconnecting intermediate points of said struts to the corners of saidpanels.

4. An oil well derrick of the character described, including: acomplement of substantially verical leg members placed in uprightposition and cooperating in pairs to form adjacent sides of the derrick;primary girts extendingv across a primary side of said derrick betweenadjacent leg members in vertically spaced relation to form a verticalseries of panels; secondary girts extending across a secondary side ofsaid derrick adjacent said primary side, said secondary girts beingspaced in vertically offset relation to said primary girts a distance ofsubstantially half the height of said panels of said primary side ofsaid derrick so as to form a vertical series of. panels verticallyoffset from said panels of said primary side of said derrick; diagonalstruts placed across the corners of said panels so as to substantiallydefine centrally of said panels quadilateral figures having theirdiagonal axes crossing in horizontal and vertical directions; andauxiliary braces in selected of said panels connecting intermediatepoints of said struts to the corners of said panels.

5. A four-sided oil well derrick of the character described, including:a complement of four vertical leg members placed in upright position soas to define the four sides of a derrick; primary girts extending acrossfront and back sides of said derrick between adjacent leg members invertically spaced relation to form vertical series of opposite primarypanels; secondary girts extending across the two lateral sides of saidderrick adjacent said front and back sides, said secondary girts beingspaced in vertically offset relationto said primary girts a distance ofsubstantially half the height of said panels of said front and backsides of said derrick so as to form vertical series of secondary panelsin vertically offset relation to said primary panels; and diagonalstruts placed across the corners of said panels so as to substantiallydefine centrally of said panels quadrilateral figures having theirdiagonal axes crossing in horizontal and vertical directions, the upperand lower ends of said. struts meeting with the central portion ofcooperating girts in six-point connection, and the lateral ends of saidstruts meeting with a leg member and the end of a girt in five-pointconnection.

6. A four-sided oil well derrick of the character described, including:a complement of four vertical leg members placed in upright position so.as to define the four sides of a derrick; primary girts extendingacross front and back sides of said derrick between adjacent leg membersin ver-' tically spaced relation to form vertical series of oppositeprimary panels; secondary girts extending across the two lateral sidesof said derrick adjacent said front and back sides, said secondary girtsbeing spaced in vertically ofiset relation to said primary girts adistance of substantiallyv half the height of said panels of said frontand back sides of said derrick so as to form vertical series ofsecondary panels in vertically offset relation to said primary panels;diagonal struts placed across the corners of said panels so as tosubstantially define centrally of said panels quadrilateral figureshaving their diagonal axes crossing in horizontal and verticaldirections, the upper and lower ends of said struts meeting with thecentral portion of cooperating girts in six-point connection, and thelateral ends of said struts meeting with a leg member and the end of agirt in five-point connection; and auxiliary braces in selected of said

